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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Yes, yes, long time no write. And for the record, no. No, I haven't finished the project I last blogged about. My heart wasn't in it. Maybe the spirit will move me eventually.

But you aren't interested in my failures unfinished projects.

So let me tell you about my most recent undertaking... A reversible zippy hoodie by Kitschy Coo. If you haven't heard of the fabulous Amanda of Kitschy Coo, you are missing out on some of the cutest patterns out there. You are also missing out on her highly entertaining blog (complete with fabulous photoshop creations). The beauty of Amanda's patterns is that most pieces are designed to grow with your child. There's nothing worse than making lovely clothes for your children that they quickly outgrow. Her patterns are mostly designed to be worn through a couple of sizes. Many patterns are also reversible. The icing on the cake? She has created many of her patterns to be suitable for both boys and girls. There's even an underpants pattern!

But back to the hoodie...

Isn't Sister Goldenhair adorable in her new jacket? One side is washed denim, the other is baby cord. It's all trimmed out in pink rib knit. She loves it. And I love that I made it for her, it will fit her for another season, and it's reversible (so she doesn't get tired of it).

Seriously, this is a great pattern. I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of her pattern testers, and I assure you that this pattern is well worth your time and money. And it's available as a PDF; so if you're into instant gratification, this pattern is for you (thankfully she has also produced a file that doesn't require printing a bazillion pages).

And I'll let you in on a little secret... She is giving away a free download of this pattern on her blog. Check out this post and enter the drawing before this Saturday. Good luck, and if you don't win... Buy this pattern anyway! :)

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I started cutting out a new pattern this evening. Cutting out patterns is my absolute least favorite part of sewing. I would happily iron all the live long day, if it would get me out of pattern cutting. So many silly, yet costly, mistakes can be have been made at this point in my sewing process.

This Easter season, as I made dresses for my girls, there was the infamous butterfly incident. Said incident involved the almost total ruination of four yards of fabric. Anyone only I could have botched so much innocent fabric with a total newbie-style error. Let's just say that I couldn't let my youngest child out of the house in a dress that made it appear as if she were being attacked by rabid butterflies. Directionality of fabric has never really been kind to me.

My oldest spent her first birthday (which happens to be Halloween) in a badly done lamb costume. It was badly done for two reasons: 1. My local fabric store didn't carry the proper kind of curly fur to make a lamb costume (so I used a straight white fur), and 2. In my never-ending mission to save fabric, I cut the wrong corner (so to speak) and caused the fur's nap to run up one side of my daughter's body and down the other side. So the whole time she wore this costume I was bothered by the mis-matched nap, and, thanks to the wrong type of fur, at least 50% of candygivers guessed that she was a bunny. Do bunnies wear bells around their necks? *sigh*

So cutting out patterns is a chore to me. There is no excitement about the project at hand, only the dread that I will muck this up somehow. And this project is no different. I also lay some of this blame on the big 4 pattern makers. If they used real sizes and measurements, it would really eliminate a lot of the trepidation. Instead you are left measuring your body parts and wondering where in the world they find people with those proportions. This is a big part of why I mostly sew for my girls. Kids' clothing is more forgiving in general.

Someday I will learn how to draft patterns... but until then, I have Simplicity 3893. Luck be a lady!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Ah, summer! My girly girl loves to wear dresses and skirts. She found the Tinkerbelle fabric at JoAnn's in the red tag section. I found the purple fabric in the remnant bin on another visit. You can't quite tell from these pictures, but the purple fabric has a glitter finish. It's low-key as far as glitter goes. And thanks to the sales at JoAnn's this dress cost about $5 (including the pattern).

As for the pattern, I feel confident that I will use it again. It was quick to put together, and the directions made sense. The tweaks I utilized include the bow. The pattern calls for the bow to be made of the main fabric. I thought this would be too busy, so I used some ribbon from my stash. I also assembled the contrast fabric differently. The directions call for you to sew the front and lining together, the back and lining together, and then join them at the shoulders. I'm not a fan of this technique. Instead I sewed front to back at the shoulders, then stitched the neck opening. I next top-stitched the neck, then pressed the arm openings and top-stitched them together. Easy peasy. I may well have to alter my method if I include sleeves in any future versions.

The most important thing? Sister Goldenhair loves it! Look at those eyes... She is definitely working her Tinkerbelle mischief.

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About Me

I'm a modern woman with a vintage heart. I happily admit to adoring my children, while raising them to be respectful of others and loving the Lord. I am a fan of modern conveniences, but can appreciate the simplicity of days gone by. I am crafty, thrifty, friendly, loyal, and frequently silly. The key theme that drives every part of my life can be boiled down to one word: FAMILY.